Man faces animal cruelty charges for allegedly hitting seagulls with a shovel on a Florida beach

Man accused of hitting seagulls with a shovel on a Florida beach (Courtesy: Collier County Sheriff's Office)

MARCO ISLAND, Fla. – Paul John Flaucher, 30, is facing felony charges for animal abuse, after police say he was seen hitting seagulls with a shovel.

According to a report, Flaucher, from Jesup, Iowa was seen hitting the birds on the South Beach area of Marco Island in Nov. 2021.

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One of the seagulls who was hit suffered a broken wing and was no longer able to fly. It was later euthanized at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. The seagull is a protected species under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Flaucher turned himself in at the Collier County Jail on Wednesday. He faces one count of aggravated animal cruelty.


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Veronica Crespo writes for Local10.com and also oversees the Español section of the website. Born and raised in Miami, she graduated from the University of Miami, where she studied broadcast journalism and Spanish.

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